Labor Relations Counsel

ALPA, the largest airline pilot union and non-governmental aviation safety organization (representing over 80,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines), seeks an experienced Labor Relations Counsel for our Tysons (McLean), Virginia office.

About the role

Under minimal direct supervision and within Association policy, the Labor Relations Counsel provides assistance to pilot governing bodies and individual members on all subjects affecting their employment. Using a thorough understanding of applicable laws and comprehensive experience in Association policies and procedures, they handle an extensive range of complex labor relations assignments, often on short notice, and function as a labor relations professional.

• Provide staff assistance in all phases of negotiating agreements
• Coordinate all activities during negotiations while maintaining communication with all interested parties
• Monitor and administer contracts
• Manage FAA actions against individual pilots
• Prepare summaries of NTSB Accident/Incident hearings
• Handle all case management functions
• Actively listen, build trust, and adapt style and tactics to fit the audience
• Respond to safety-related emergency inquiries, potentially at any hour

Travel is required, typically 25–50% and sporadically 50–75%, sometimes on short notice.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Law (LLM), or similar advanced degree from an approved school of law
• Member in good standing of the Bar
• Five (5) years of related experience in labor law and litigation, preferably in aviation; fifteen (15) or more years strongly preferred
• At management discretion, significant and in-depth, directly applicable labor negotiation experience may substitute for some requirements
• Experience in collective bargaining, grievance, and arbitration preferred
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, for effective interaction with internal staff, external contacts, senior legal and aviation professionals, and pilots
• Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate long-term projects
• Demonstrated ability to use independent judgment to formulate decisions and solve problems under time pressure and urgent conditions
• Knowledge of the Railway Labor Act and Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) preferred
• Experience using online legal research tools (e.g., Westlaw) preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint

Physical Demands

• Constantly operates a computer, smartphone, or tablet
• Regularly required to maintain a stationary position, move about the office and local metropolitan area, determine what others have said or written, and converse with others to exchange accurate information
• Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the office and travel (locally, nationally, and internationally)
• Occasional bending, stooping, squatting, pushing, pulling, or moving items (e.g., binders, books, boxes, files up to 10 lbs.)
• While traveling, may need to move, raise, reach, or retrieve luggage weighing up to 50 lbs. (assistance may not always be available)

Benefits

• 401k Plan with a non-elective employer contribution of 12% plus 2% contribution into a Market-Based Cash Balance Plan (MBCBP) after 180 days of employment (no employee contribution required; 4-year vesting schedule for 401k, 3-year cliff vesting for MBCBP)
• Generous health care benefits on day one, including Aetna PPO Plan, Aetna High Deductible Health Plan, and Kaiser HMO Plan (where available), covering medical, dental, and vision for employees, spouses, and/or dependent children (no premiums for Aetna High Deductible Health Plan or Kaiser HMO Plan)
• 15 days paid vacation and 13 holidays per year, plus 2 volunteer days
• Generous sick and bereavement leave
• Competitive parental leave
• Company-paid coverage for long-term disability, life insurance, and accidental death & dismemberment
• Flexible Spending and Health Savings accounts
• Retiree health plan and retiree health account (HRA) for eligible medical expenses in retirement
• Education Assistance Program (100% reimbursement of eligible expenses)
• Optional benefits: legal plan, supplemental life insurance, college 529 plan, pet insurance, long-term care insurance, and qualified transportation fringe benefits (where available)
• Partial remote work opportunities available after six months of service

Pay

Projected annual salary range: $119,754 – $210,841